Half-Life 2: Lost Coast found

In-depth details of Valve's high-end single level add-on, Half-Life 2: The Lost Coast have appeared over at Bit-tech, revealing all manner of tasty morsels on this forthcoming free download.

The Bit-tech chaps were invited over to Seattle by Valve itself to explore The Lost Coast, and have produced a superbly-detailed feature on this intriguing download (available next month via Steam).

The piece goes into great depth about both the High Dynamic Range technology side of Valve's "no limits" add-on (with the HDR tech debuting first in Day of Defeat: Source, we're told), as well as the story elements that players can expect to encounter.

Half-Life 2 fans has been advised not to expect too much, though: "In terms of end-to-end gameplay, [it's] measured in minutes, not hours. Be warned: if you are expecting loads of new story, you will be disappointed, and unnecessarily so. Marvel at the graphics, listen to the Developer Commentary, but take it all at face value." Amen.

Meanwhile, good news for those without killer systems: you'll still be able to enjoy the fruits of HDR tech in your gaming: "If you can already play Half-Life 2 or Counter-Strike: Source at a decent framerate, you should be able to enjoy Day of Defeat: Source with HDR at a decent framerate.

For those thirsting for a more extended Half-Life 2-based offering, you're going to have to wait for the expansion pack, entitled Aftermath. A PC-only release "before Christmas" has been promised. For the full juice on that, head on over to our preview.

For more on The Lost Coast, be sure to check out the scoop over at Bit-tech.